WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DAY/ WORLD RIVERS DAY

Today is World Environment Health Day. Environmental Health, today as we all know is not in a good condition. In fact with WHO’s revised air quality guidelines, India is now the second most populated, sorry, polluted country in the world (though both are true).

Today is also World Rivers Day. Rivers today as we all know are severely polluted. This year, aided by rains, we saw their fury all over the world.

Environmental forces seem to have come together everywhere to signal and warn humans. Uncontrollable wildfires, high temperatures in unlikely areas (Verkhoyansk in Siberia recorded 48°C, Kargil was at 38°C), earthquakes, a cyclone after another, heavy rains, floods, drought. These are not isolated and once in while incidents anymore. Natural disasters we call them. But the real disasters are humans themselves. We continue with our damaging actions, despite knowing the outcomes.

CELEBRATING NATURE:

Our culture has respected and revered nature. Worshipped all natural forces since time immemorial. As did many older civilizations. They did not suffer from lack of scientific knowledge when they did so. They had befitting wisdom to incorporate that knowledge. Sacred groves, forbidden regions giving it a religious significance have protected a lot in our country. There is still time left to regain it before the loss is permanent.

So, to show our respect for the forces of nature and to remind ourselves that we are nothing without them, a few songs celebrating nature on this “World Environmental Health Day”. Because poetry can convey so much more.

I have tried to select songs that revolve around describing the beauty of nature in various forms. But a song here and there may contain lovers’ vows. Can’t help if beautiful surroundings rouse someone’s romantic feelings.

                     

NATURE IN GENERAL:

To begin with some songs praising nature in general.

1. HARI HARI VASUNDHARA PE: Mukesh/ Bharat Vyas/ Satish Bhatiya/ Boon Jo Ban Gayi Moti (1967)

2. NELE GAGAN KE TALE: Mahendra Kapoor/ Sahir Ludhiyanvi/ Ravi/ Hamraz (1967)

3. SUHAN SAFAR AUR YEH MAUSAM: Mukesh/ Shailendra/ Salil Chaudhary/ Madhumati (1958)

4. AE BADAL JHOOM KE CHAL: Mukesh/ Hasrat Jaipuri/ Shankar-Jaikishen/ Nadaan (1971)

5. KUHU KUHU BOLE KOYALIYA: Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar/ Bharat Vyas/ Adi Narayan Rao/ Suvarna Sundari (1958)

MOUNTAINS:

The beauty, the serenity of mountains is incomparable. Mountains ecologically play a major role, and their ecosystems are as fragile as they are strong. All major rivers originate from mountains and their destruction or loss will threaten both animal and human populations.

Few lines describing our own majestic Himalaya’s by poet Rashtrakavi Sohanlal Dwivedi

And now a few film songs praising their beauty:

6. HUSN PAHADON KA: Lata Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar/ Ravindra Jain/ Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985)

7. PARBATON KE PEDON PAR: Mohd. Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur/ Sahir Ludhiyanvi/ Khayyam/ Shagun (1964)

8. NELE PARBATON KI DHARA: Asha Bhosle, Mahendra Kapoor/ Sahir Ludhiyanvi/ Ravi/ Aadmi Aur Insaan (1970)

RAINS:

Fill our rivers- which meet the sea. The clouds form and rains return. Thus, the cycle of water continues. All living beings wait for it, they can bring great pleasure. And sometimes great sorrow, which of late have been felt acutely. The sorrow, however, arises due to our actions. The cycle and path of rains exists and performs as nature determines. Bhartendu Harishchandra described the rainy season in these lines in “कूकै लगीं कोइलें” (Kookai Lagin Koilen):

कूकै लगीं कोइलें कदंबन पे बैठि फेरि

धोए-धोए पात हिलि-हिलि सरसै लगे ।

बोलै लगै दादुर मयूर लगे नाची फेरि

देखि कै संजोगी जन हरसै लगे ॥

हरी भई भूमि सीरी पवन चलन लागी

लखी ‘हरिचंद’ फेर प्रान तरसै लगे।

फेरि झूमि-झूमि बरषा की ऋतु आई फेरि

बादर निगोरे झूकि-झूकि बरसै लगे ॥

Now for some film songs:

9. HARIYALA SAWAN DHOL BAJATA AAYA: Lata Mangeshkar, Manna Dey/ Shailendra/ Salil Chaudhary/ Do Beegha Zameen (1953)

10. UMAD GHUMAD KAR AAYI RE GHATA: Lata MAngeshkar, Manna Dey/ Bharat Vyas/ Vasant Desai/ Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957)

11. BAGA BAM-4 BAJE DUMROO: Lata Mangeshkar/ Hasrat Jaipuri/ Shankar Jaikishen/ Kathputli (1957)

RIVERS:

Water is the source of all life on Earth, and if we maintain our status quo of lifestyles, it will be our end too. By the way there is a separate day for Action for Rivers. This year’s theme was “Rights of Rivers”. Uttarakhand High Court held Rivers Ganga & Jamuna are legal entities, they have the right to move or flow freely without impediments or obstructions. But who will enforce them?

Maa Ganga occupies a special place in our hearts. Makhanlal Chaturvedi has beautifully described the descend of Maa Ganga on Earth.

शिखर शिखारियों मे मत रोको,

उसको दौड़ लखो मत टोको,

लौटे ? यह न सधेगा रुकना

दौड़, प्रगट होना, फिर छुपना,

अगम नगाधिराज, जाने दो, बिटिया अब ससुराल चली |

Shouldn’t India and Indians be the first to recognize the rights of river? Rivers are not merely persons; they are deities for us, sacred and venerable. A couple of songs for “World Rivers Day”:

12. BHARAT KE LIYE BHAGWAN KA: Kavi Pradeep/ Kavi Pradeep/ S. N. Tripathi/ Har Har Gange (1968)

13. NADIYA NA PIYE KABHI: Mahendra Kapoor/ Bharat Vyas/ Shivram/ Kan Kan Mein Bhagwan (1963)

SUN:

And now to Sun. Though, technically Sun is not a part of Earth’s environment. But then there wouldn’t be any environment or life for that matter without the Sun’s eternal energy. All forces of nature and life need it, are driven by it. A few songs in it’s ode would therefore be apt for the day.

14. SURYA DEV DINESH HE MUM: Bulo C Rani/ Madhur/ Bulo C Rani/ Shri Ganesh (1962)

15. JYOTI KALASH CHALKE: Lata Mangeshkar/ Pandit Narendra Sharma/ Sudhir Phadke/ Bhabhi Ki Choodiyan (1961)

16. PIGHALA HAI SONA: Lata Mangeshkar/ Sahir Ludhiyanvi/ S. D. Burman/ Jaal (1952)

FINALLY THIS SONG:

A song that describes a lot and at the same time conveys a lot. It’s final lines say that good and evil both reside in the same being has been an oft used theme. In today’s context it can be interpreted to mean that to protect and preserve the bounties of nature, we have to be guided by the goodness and keep our greed away as far as possible.

17. UPAR GAGAN VISHAL: Manna Dey/ Kavi Pradeep/ S. D. Burman/ Mashaal (1950)

SOME FINAL LINES:

Despite the many researches, reports, investigations and conclusions our responses to the crisis are pathetic. To prove our utter negligence there are dystopian novels. The novels in which everything else gets destroyed and only human survivors are left. With their highly technical, scientific inputs, there is this arrogance of human survival. But will it be so? Will the humans outlive those components of nature on which he depends for his very existence?

Or perhaps that is the reason they are trying to colonize Moon and Mars. Heavens help them, the planets that is. As an old adage puts:“जहॉं जहॉं पॉंव पडे संतंन के, तहॉं तहॉं बंटा ढार”.

.Health of the environment is the basis for overall health of humans. As Rachel Carson said in her ground breaking work, Silent Spring, “AS MAN PROCEEDS towards his announced goal of the conquest of nature, he has written a depressing record of destruction, directed not only against the earth he inhabits but against the life that shares it with him.”

In the same book she also says the following:

“Man, however much he may like to pretend to contrary, is part of nature.” And that “The “control of nature” is a phrase conceived in arrogance.”

Instead of trying to control nature, we should try to control ourselves. I am not saying to become minimalistic, but, adaptability and satisfaction at some level, are imperative in today’s situation.

Environmental health is an issue on which discussions can go on, till we show some real determination to solve the problems we created. So, for now, let’s close this topic with two thoughts of mine:

Needs are ever growing; avarice is never ending; and

Development is a necessity, its sustainability, however, has to be mandatory.

 

DISCLAIMER: The videos/ songs linked/ embedded herein above from YouTube are only for the purpose of entertainment and pleasure of viewers/ readers. The copyright over the songs/ videos/ films rests with the owners/ producers of the respective movies.